The Finnish science system is divided into nine clusters, each with their own specific focus areas:

The information and communications cluster

The metal cluster

The forest cluster

The well-being cluster

The chemical and bio cluster

The environmental cluster

The energy cluster

The real estate and construction cluster

The food cluster

Research Framework

The Finnish research system is relatively decentralised, with its main research being conducted at the 16 universities, 26 polytechnics and 18 government research institutes. For detailed information about each institution, see Study in Finland[4].

The Finnish innovation and research system framework consists of four operational levels.

Level 1 consists of the Finnish government, supported by the Research and Innovation Council. This advisory body is responsible for the strategic development and co-ordination of Finnish science and technology policy, and the national innovation system as a whole.

Level 2 consists of the ministries.

The R&D funding agencies make up level 3, These include the Academy of Finland[5] and Tekes[6], the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. At this level, research priorities are set, funding decisions (excluding the allocation between ministries) are made and co-operation is facilitated.

At level 4 there are the organisations that conduct research: universities, public research institutes, private research organisations and business enterprises.

Working in Finland

Finland’s universities use a four- stage career system in their research and education (doctoral student, post-doctoral fellow, independent senior researcher and professor). To facilitate flexible mobility for researchers with common interests, the universities collaborate with a range of other organisations in Finland.

Work hours in Finland usually consist of a 40-hour week. Holiday leave is earned during the ‘holiday credit year’ which starts and ends in April. Two-and-a-half leave days are accrued each month, leaving a full-time employee with 30 days of paid holiday leave per year. However, for workers who have been employed for less than two years by a company, only two days of leave are accrued per month, adding up to 24 days of annual paid leave.

As a researcher working in Finland for more than six months, you will need a tax card (verokortti), where those who research in Finland for less than six months will have to acquire a tax-at-source card (lähdeverokortti). For more information on the Finnish tax system, visit the Finnish Tax Administration[8].